EDITORIAL: Scale up road safety

Monday, February 18, 2019 19:53

By EDITORIAL

The authorities must get road safety right at all costs. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Road accidents appear to be on the rise again. Indeed, images of the wreckage of public service vehicles that have claimed tens of lives are increasingly becoming common although the National Transport and Safety Authority reported, as at January, a marginal drop in the number of injuries and fatalities compared to a similar period a year ago.

On January 27, 2018, the number of road crash survivors was 818 against last month’s 768 while fatalities from these accidents were 184 against 212 last time, according to the NTSA.

Perhaps the drop is attributable to the recent crackdown described as the return of the Michuki Rules. However, the February crashes should warn the police and the NTSA that there is a need to focus more on the roads to ensure that the deaths from crashes do not become the order of the day and that they are not considered normal occurrences.

The economic, social and emotional costs are immense when a country loses children, bread winners, professionals and workers who support a diverse array of dependants.

The authorities must get road safety right at all costs by regulating the transport business, retraining drivers and other crew, making vehicle inspections as frequent as possible, monitoring the roads and reviewing operations and procedures in the sector. Let road safety be a priority for the relevant government agencies.